The Wrathful One
by Divine Rogziel
Summary: After Yasha mercilessly splits him in two, Asura finds himself back in Naraka-burning with more rage than ever. But after he followed the light into what he believes to be Gaea once more, he finds his rage subsiding. Within the confines of a metal container, he finds a very familiar face. Now, with Mithra in his arms, Asura will do all he can to protect her.
1. Episode 1: A father's New Duty

_A Father's New Duty_

* * *

Asura opened his eyes. _Naraka_ , he quickly realized. It wouldn't be the first time he woke up there-listening to the moans of the dead, clutching at one of the many pillars dotting the realm. He tried to recall what last happened to him, something that didn't take too long for him to do. He was fighting Yasha. Just the mere thought of it brought a snarl to his face.

The melancholy man had no qualms against trying to off Asura. He also took away Mithra, Asura's daughter. So why was it that the thought of _Yasha_ trying to kill him so maddening? Why did it feel like such a betrayal?

He was quickly interrupted from his thoughts. "So we meet again," the Golden Spider said, spinning down from its shining thread. "What will you do now?" Its voice was annoying and grating on the ears. "You are a demigod just as they are, you know?"

No, not really. He was too angry to question what he was. People were just in his way, didn't matter if he was a demigod or not. Wyzen wasn't too tough after all. And if he was any indication, Asura shouldn't have any more difficulty handling the rest of them.

" _Who do you think you are!?" an armless Asura shouted._

" _God," Yasha spoke to the bug at his feet._

 _With such a dismissive attitude, most would back down from the challenge. But not Asura. Yasha's response only filled him with more wrath!_

The Golden Spider brought him back, "If you can accept their actions, perhaps you should let go and become one with Gaia again."

 _No,_ Asura couldn't do that. So he began to climb. Asura would rather let the world burn than let Mithra suffer!

"You choose to move forward?" Its irritating voice was condescending. It gave a brief chuckle. "This is exactly why your soul will never belong to the Gohma, nor the Seven Deities."

Asura was trying to drown out its persistent voice.

"There is a great power hidden within you." The Spider swung right into Asura's face. "One that I have been looking a great deal of time for."

Asura didn't even hesitate to move passed this entity.

"So," the golden entity teased out, "Deus is to bring salvation to Gaea." _Deus_ , the leader of the Seven Deities. The prideful asshole who decided to enact the plan in the first place. "But it seems he cannot do it without your daughter's power."

Asura hesitated. He heard it all from the spider, but this got him to finally stop his climbing. "Mithra..." his face softened at the thought of her. But that soon vanished. He couldn't allow any harm to come to her.

"Now remember why you are here in the first place. It will spur you on, my boy!" The Golden Spider's voice was full of command, even in a whisper. "Fuel the fire of your rage!"

 _He had just finished a training session with his master Augus. His head only just cleared from his wrath. He could faintly hear Augus' boisterous laughter, before his master called out, "Immersing oneself in battle like that-well done, Asura!"_

 _Asura, meanwhile, was recovering his breath-on one knee and his gaze towards the ground. He could see a set of feet walk up to him. "Now that you have something to protect, why are you so full of rage?" The voice was calm, nothing like Augus' bodacious sounds. Yasha held out his hand for Asura to take. "Or perhaps, that is exactly why..."_

 _Asura tore his gaze away. He didn't need Yasha's help._

" _Something to protect?" Augus heard what Yasha said. "Nonsense!" He chuckled. "The only reason to fight is the fight itself!"_

 _Yasha scoffed. "That is so like you, Master." He turned his attention back to Asura. "We have cleared this area of the Gohma. Let us return to Shinkoku." While Yasha may not have smiled, he did pat Asura's metal shoulder._

 _Asura batted away the hand. "Right..."_

 _They walked in silence, the time it took matter not to the demigods as they set a leisurely pace. As the desert wasteland gave way to civilization, they eventually made it to the divine city Shinkoku. It was the pearl of the world. There was no town, city, or kingdom on Gaea that could hold a candle to the magnificence of the divine city of gold and marble. But Asura only cared to find his family._

 _Inside the building, a woman stood with a baby in her arms. She looked nearly like an effeminate Yasha, with attractive black hair and brown eyes. She looked away from the baby very briefly as the sound of footsteps reached her. "Look, Mithra," she cooed, "your father has returned." Her voice was angelic in a way, smooth and calming to Asura._

 _The sight of his wife brought a slight grin to Asura's face. His form relaxed from the stiffness it had after fighting. He stepped up to his family and wrapped them into a hug. Yes, this is what he needed to protect. Their safety ment more to him than the entirety of Gaea, for they were his_ world _. And nothing would stand in his way!_

 _His wife Durga just said something, something that Asura completely missed. Luckily, she seemed to find more amusement out of it than anything else. So she repeated herself while giggling, "Wouldn't you like to hold Mithra?"_

 _He didn't respond vocally, but he did hold his hands out to take hold of her. She was so squishy-looking, tiny, and so very fragile. He made sure that he would be very careful while using his metallic hands. But before he could even touch her, Mithra opened her eyes. And she cried._

 _Asura quickly pulled his hands back. He didn't know what he did wrong! Why was she crying?_

 _Durga giggled once more and gently rocked Mithra. "Even one of the Eight Guardian Generals is no match for his own daughter, is he?" She spoke lightly, with a slight tease edging around her voice._

" _She's... so small..." It was the best defense he could think of._

 _Her giggling brought back Asura's attention. "You you know what I think?" She had a soft smile, so very comforting. "I believe you only wish the best for our daughter..."_

 _He didn't know how to respond to that, so he just huffed and walked away. His posture was just as stiff as before. She would be fine talking with her brother Yasha._

 _Walking down the hall allowed Asura time to think. He worried for his family, they couldn't protect themselves without him. He needed to-_

 _There in his path were three of the Guardian Generals-Sergei, Wyzen, and Kalrow. He scowled, not having time for whatever it was they needed. "Move." It was not a request, it was a demand._

 _Sergei, the ever effeminate man, seemed to find amusement out of it. "Not bad Asura." And he was as condescending as ever. "That uncontrollable rage suits you well." He looked up the bulky form of Wyzen and smiled._

 _The fat giant Wyzen nodded and stepped out of Asura's way._

 _Sergei gave a brief bow and presented the cleared way to the wrathful man. He chuckled and looked Asura in the eyes. "See what I mean?"_

 _Asura grimaced and continued forward._

 _As he passed Wyzen, the giant took it as his que to speak his mind. "Join us, Asura!" he loudly declared. "Should we work together, we could more effectively exterminate the Goh-"_

 _Asura growled. "Don't test me."_

 _Almost out of earshot, the old man Kalrow presented his piece. "You are aware that Mithra is the only suitable vessel to become Priestess, are you not?" He wheeled over to be right next to Asura. "Raise her with care, incompetent as you may be."_

 _He ground his teeth, walking away from Kalrow's wheezing laughter._

Asura cleared his head and continued to climb.

"Well, you certainly are incompetent," the Spider teased. "But I would wager that to be one of your more charming features." When Asura didn't respond, the Spider sighed. "Well, at least now we know the source of the flames that burn your soul."

Asura wasn't paying it any mind now. He became distracted. There was a noise in the back of his head that called out to him. It infuriated him. It sounded so familiar, but it made him more wrathful than anything else.

"In other words-"

"Stop..."

The Spider was genuinely confused when it asked, "What? Stop what?"

"The..." he tried to find the word. The sound became clearer. It was, "crying!" He smashed his fist into the pillar. "Stop it!"

"Crying?" The Spider knew that death could be a traumatic experience, but it hoped that it didn't cause the demigod to lose his mind. "But what do you mean? I'm not crying."

 _It sounds like Mithra_. He yelled with incoherent rage. Mithra should never be crying! She should never suffer! With a grip of steel, he sped up his accent. He moved like a rabid animal, roaring all the way.

"Why?" the Spider wasn't bothered at all by the increase in speed. It ascended alongside the demigod just as quickly. "Why are you so full of rage, Asura? Where does this wrath come from?"

But Asura wasn't listening. He cared not for what the golden entity had to say. He only ascended faster. Up to the top of this nigh infinite pillar. Even when his vision left him, he still climbed.

For a brief moment, Asura felt nothing. There was no gravity, air, or even his body. He couldn't touch anything. There was no pillar under him. The Golden Spider was quiet. And his rage was silenced.

When it all came back, his rage was still silent. He stood in a hall, lined with many metal containers. All was silent, even as Asura stood within the small crater in the oddly shiny floor. But then he heard something. A small banging from within one of the metal boxes. As he came even closer, what he heard boiled his blood. A nearly silent sobbing.

"Please, someone, anyone..." The sobbing never stopped. "Please let me out..." The weak thumping was slowing.

Asura grit his teeth. A girl was suffering in this strange metal box! "Prepare yourself!" he shouted to the girl inside. He couldn't tell if the girl was able to understand him in the state she was in. But the thought quickly left his mind as he raised his hand. With a mighty yell, Asura slammed his hand down and rent the metal into a disfigured mess. With the front now bent and open, he could see her.

She was shaking like a leaf, leaning against the back of the container just a hair's breadth away from where he tore the metal apart. He was nearly bothered by the palpable stench of the filth that covered her. But he noticed something quickly enough to let him forget those tiny details.

 _This is Mithra._

He tried to reach out and touch her, make sure what he was seeing was real. But as his hand got closer, she she flinched and tried to make herself appear even smaller. He hesitated. She looked so fragile. He almost couldn't bring himself to come any closer. But Durga wasn't there, not anymore. He couldn't rely on her to settle the gentle cares any longer.

He forced himself to calm down. _For Mithra..._ He could be angry later. For now, she needed her father. She needed Asura to care for her. He tried smiling-sure it was a dastardly thing, but it was almost presentable. And this time, he held his hand out, waiting for her to take it herself.

Mithra wasn't shaking as badly anymore. She still seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, but it was better than earlier. Her eyes trailed up his arm to meet his face. The sheer terror in her eyes almost forced him into another berserker rage- _Mithra shouldn't suffer!-_ but he squashed down that feeling. Not when he could so easily harm her. So very slowly, she reached out and put her hand into his.

 _She's so tiny_ , he realized as he pulled her out. Even as the filth rubbed into his chest, he cradled her. Protecting her from anything that could possibly harm her. "Sleep now, Mithra," he whispered to her. "Nothing will harm you as long as I am here."

She only answered with more shivers. She looked up to him, fear still within her eyes. But as he continued along, gently holding her to him, that fear gave away. And she finally closed her eyes for sleep.


	2. Episode 2: The Coming of a New Era

_The coming of a New Era_

* * *

Say what you will about Asura-he's hot-headed, stubborn to a fault, and violent as all hell. But know one thing: never stand between him and his family. He would never let harm come to them, and god have mercy for whoever even tries-just know Asura won't. For the past millenniums, he has been kept from his daughter. But now that was no longer the case. _Mithra's right here_ , in his arms.

There was no mistaking it for Asura, the girl he held in his arms was Mithra, there was no doubt. So she looked slightly different, Asura just attributed it to her aging and the filth that still caked her. There wasn't _much_ different than what he actually remembered. Her hair may have been brown now, she felt smaller than he last knew, and the clothes she wore were bizarre at best. _But her Mantra's still the same..._

While Mantra acted strangely at the best of times, there was one thing that defined it. It was the source of all life. And with that, came a person's soul. And while souls could be remarkably similar, they would never be quite the same. Even when a Priestess manipulates it, Mantra will always be intrinsically the same. This, Asura knew. And he knew with certainty that the girl in his arms held the Mantra of his daughter-he could feel it within her.

Lost in the excitement as he was, Asura missed one crucial detail. It was so far away in his mind, that to even think about it would crush him. He's already lost Durga...

People dived out of his way, understandable when Asura snarled at anyone too close. While their clothes were just as bizarre as Mithra's, Asura paid it little mind. _What a strange fashion,_ thought the shirtless demigod, attire still dirty and mangled from his previous fights. And the city wasn't much better in that regard. He was used to the human cities being small villages, made of wood and stones. They never seemed to make it past that stage, so now it was strange to see their tall pillars, little humans going in and out. It was good to see that they finally started their own inspiration, not relying on the shining metals and marbles of Shinkoku.

Mithra stirred but didn't wake. She was wounded. She needed medical attention. Why didn't he ever practice that? At this point, it seemed that any sort of treatment would be beneficial. She could heal the rest with her Mantra later-his wrathful energy would only do her more harm.

So he started his search.

* * *

The sun was starting to set and he had no clue on where to go. He felt like he's been walking in circles for an eternity, coming no closer to finding the elusive healer than when he started. Where would he even start? _Argh! Where is this place?_ No, he didn't need help. He was _Asura_! He didn't need anyone's help!

Mithra stirred once more.

But Mithra was so small and fragile. _She_ needed help. _She_ needed to be healed. He couldn't do either of those things. She needed _some_ help. Something- _anything_! He looked around. _All these buildings are the same!_

He stood in the middle of the blackened ground. The humans kept away from him, walking by on the whitish-gray road closer to the buildings. Those that looked at him had fear or caution in their eyes, the rest just ignore him. There were even a few that pointed strange black boxes at him, some of those boxes even flashed a light at him. Maybe those were primitive cameras? He let those people be, it wasn't like those photos would ever harm Mithra.

Then a roar interrupted his thoughts. He turned, and charging towards him was a sight that made his blood boil. It was a large, metal creature. Its eyes shone down at him, and it left smoke in its wake. But its roar was unmistakably that of a Gohma. It may have been metal this time around, but in thousands of years nothing had changed! It would have been easier to just jump over the monstrosity-Mithra wouldn't have been in any danger that way-but he couldn't let it attack these helpless humans. He couldn't possibly fight it in close quarters, not with Mithra still in his arms, _where she's safe._ So he did something he hadn't tried in a long while. He kicked at the Gohma.

A furious wave of red engulfed everything in its path. His wrathful Mantra tore apart the very ground, rent it asunder. When it matched the charge of the Gohma, it was obvious the Gohma stood no chance. He covered Mithra from the resulting explosion, it wouldn't do to let her be caught in it. She didn't wake.

The humans only just now realized the danger they were in and started fleeing in fear. _Where there is one, more will follow_. He quickly scanned his surrounding, looking for a place that Mithra would be safe. Finding none, he growled and just stood his ground. Any fight from here on will be done with extra care. So he prepared and waited for any signs of more Gohma. But there was nothing. The only sounds he could hear were those of the running humans, but there were no more Gohma.

When he turned to look back in the direction it came from, he was surprised. Its corpse was still there. _Why_? Gohma disappear, returning back to Vlitra, when they die. Why was this metal one so different? And then it hit him like Augus' fist. That Gohma was artificially made. It didn't come from Vlitra. Someone else is trying to make _Gohma_!

An unbidden growl rose from his throat. The humans were already suffering from Vlitra's Gohma, they didn't need this... _asshole's_ pale imitations to suffer from as well! Who would dare add to the suffering?

" _Deus!" Asura growled. "It was you!" He was the one that framed him for Emperor Strada's death. He was the one to kill Durga. He was the one that kidnapped Mithra!_

 _Deus was unaffected by Asura's wrath. So pitiful and weak in the arrogant demigod's eyes. "Yes..." It was like a purr, he took so much pleasure from what he did. "I did what was necessary for the cause."_

" _Cause...?" What cause? What could be so important, so absurd, that it required all of this?!_

" _I have decided to save this world." As if that wasn't already his duty as a Guardian General. "I will create a new civilization..." he said, making a grand gesture with his arms, "a great rebirth!"_

 _Asura didn't understand. "Save the world?! What 'great rebirth'?!" This was all too much to take in. Framed for the emperor's death. Durga dead in his own home. And Mithra taken away! "You're insane!"_

 _Deus laughed as if he heard the best joke in his life. "I will bear the burden of your wrath Asura," he said, calming down from his high. "And your life as well."_

 _Then all Asura knew was pain. Deus' black lightning struck him, and he learned the definition of pain and anguish. He knew not how long had passed. He became blind from the electrifying sensation. And then he was thrown back when the lighting was cut off. Asura didn't feel it when he skipped against the ground, nor did he when his back hit the railing._

 _When he finally regained his senses, Asura saw the man in white approach him. He tried to get up, to stand and fight. He couldn't sit there and let death overcome him!_ Not without a fight _! But his body couldn't respond. He stumbled, almost fell if it weren't for the railing behind him._

 _Deus didn't let Asura try for too long either. His hand constricted around Asura's throat. With his new handle, Deus lifted Asura with the effort one would lift an apple. With a single sentence, Deus would have chilled the bones of most warriors. "Your death shall be the foundation of my new world!" It wasn't a yell. It wasn't a demand. It was so simply said with just the amount of conviction to make even the gods of creation yield to his rule._

 _Before Asure could do anything, still defiant as ever, black lightning struck once again. It was so much more than before. It didn't just teach him pain this time. It turned him into pain. Into_ _ **anguish**_ _!_

 _When he knew himself as Asura once more, he saw one last thing upon the platform as gravity took hold of him. He saw Mithra struggling against her gilded cage. "No! Father!" he heard her yell._

" _Let her go!" he demanded of them. "I said let her go!" She was all he had left. He would not let her suffered! His form ignited in fire and pain as he entered the atmosphere. "I will have my_ _ **vengeance**_ _!" he swore. But they couldn't hear him. By now he was but a streak in the night sky._

"Deus," Asura growled. Of course it was Deus! The mad man. The arrogant, prideful fool! His Mantra rose up around him in a shroud of fury. It scorched the very ground he stood on. He didn't notice it.

But then Mithra flinched.

No, he couldn't lose himself now. Not with Mithra still there. He couldn't harm her. He forcibly reigned in his aura. All of his Mantra was still there, simmering under the surface of his metallic skin. He tried to hold her gently, to imitate Durga from years ago. There was no need to let her experience his wrath, he would never let her experience his wrath. He could never hurt her.

As calm as he was, his rage still simmered and burned within him, waiting for a target. And as soon as Asura could heal Mithra and find a place for her to be safe, there will be _hell to pay_! The world has suffered enough! Deus still has more to suffer for what he's done. _Mercy won't come for him_.

And then he was shot.

It was such a pitiful thing that the glass arrow just bounced off of him and shattered upon the ground, green liquid splashing everywhere. He didn't even stumble. But it hit him. It hit him a hand's width away from Mithra's head! _How dare you!_ His rage threatened to come forth. To _burn_ and _destroy_ the attacker. But he kept it in check, kept it boiling inside of him.

The patterns in his skin started to glow.

Wrathful eyes turned up to the attacker. She, if the stern carving on her mask was to be believed, could have been no taller than Mithra. She wore a dark cloak and dark armor. None of her body was left to be seen. But none of that mattered to Asura, only one thing did at that moment. She was aiming her crossbow straight for him. Another arrow notched back.

She fired.


	3. Episode 3: Old Actions, New Faces

_Preface: I feel like I didn't do something right here. I rewrote it a few times, but they all felt a little strange. Anyway, sorry for the wait._

 _Old Actions, New Faces_

* * *

The bolt flew true, impossibly straight. The dark bolt was aimed right for him. She didn't aim any higher than necessary. Her aim was for him, there were no deviations for height or arc. The bolt, shadowy in its color, flew true and flew for him. In any other circumstance, he would have let the thing hit him. But not now. Not with Mithra in his arms. So he did something he hadn't done in a long time.

 _He jumped away._

He couldn't jump too far. No, that would harm his daughter. And he couldn't allow that. So his jump was slow and small. Barely even registering to himself, but he could tell Mithra felt it. She showed no discomfort, but she was still fleshy. So soft and vulnerable. So unlike what he was. So unlike the metallic body he crafted himself from his own Mantra. So very fragile. He couldn't chance harming her. It has been many millennia since he was last made of flesh and bones. Not the wires and steel he now was. He forgot how much that limited someone.

He jumped again. All the while he never kept his eyes off his enemy. Even when he heard the glass bolt shatter against the ground, his eyes never left the mysterious figure. And it was a lucky thing he didn't let his eyes wander. The little girl shooting bolts at him seemed much too violent to allow that. She raised a second crossbow, loaded with another bolt.

Even if she knew that her bolts did nothing, she continually shot them. One after the other, somehow reloading without difficulty. Without pause. And with each bolt fired, she advanced. She steadily made her way closer and closer. And with each bolt she fired, Asura jumped back. Retreating to protect Mithra. But he couldn't keep dodging. She was getting closer bit by bit. And in the state he was in, he wouldn't dare throw any Mantra. Not with his wrath just waiting to burst like it was. That was just a disaster waiting to happen. And with Mithra in his arms...

"Oh this is just too good!" the girl called out with a young voice. "Thought you were tough shit when you got your powers, huh!" While Asura didn't know what she was talking about, she stopped firing her crossbow at least. "Took out Squealer like a _bitch_!" She laughed-in a not too entirely sane way. "You just had to show the world how strong you were! But when a _real_ cape comes up," she raised her crossbow again, "you're still only just weak _prey_!"

She fired another bolt.

 _Fine_! There was no time for him to think anymore. He held Mithra closer to his chest, trying to cover her ears with a single hand, and _acted_. He roared and smashed his foot into the concrete ground. A crater broke beneath him and black stone rose up like a barrier. Before the stone finished rising, Asura kicked one. The black shard was about as large as Wyzen, weighed just as much too. But under just a fraction of his wrath, it was nothing more than a pebble to be tossed away.

It tumbled through the air, crashing into the girl before she could even move from her spot. A deafening _boom_ sounded as rock and dust exploded outwards. The breaking stone shot out, causing Asura to shield Mithra from the remains. He looked back down to his daughter. Her face still innocent, as if the fight never happened. The wrathful demigod smiled down at her before looking back at where that other girl once stood.

In a way, he almost felt sorry for her. No one so young should fight. In any other case, Asura would have never tried to kill her. Never even tried to seriously harm her. She was a child, still learning how life worked. Children were _supposed_ to make a few mistakes here and there, that's what the young do. Hell, this wouldn't be the first time one so young was also so arrogant to believe themselves invincible-it would even be a lie to say he was any different in his youth. But when that same arrogance threatened Mithra... That he could never forgive. There was arrogance and then there was _foolishness_. He stood on both sides throughout his life. And that foolishness risked the life of someone very dear to him. And he would never let that happen to him.

But he still needed to find a healer.

His rage receded. The grooves carved into his skin dimmed. The end of the fight brought his mind away from the machinations of Deus or the threats to Mithra or really anything else. His daughter, the little priestess, needed to be healed. If not fully, then enough that she could heal herself with her Mantra when she woke. Oh how he cursed at his own wrathful Mantra. Cursed at how it _burned_ away all it touched! He took a steadying breath. He couldn't allow himself to be lost in his anger. Not with his family with him. Not again...

He started to leave. _Be best to find the healer before sundown._

A bolt pinged against his back. _What?_ He looked back to the showering debris. Just in time to see the cloaked girl to raise another crossbow from the cloud of dust. And he was stunned.

She tsked at the air when a bolt sturdier than the last just ricocheted away. "Even with all that power, Hebert, you are still weak!" When the debris finally cleared, her new form was revealed. And while the wispy, shadowy look may have concerned others, it wasn't her form that baffled him. It was the small aura of Mantra around her-denoting her to be a demigod. Her violent-yellow Mantra was small, insignificant, not even enough to form a halo behind her. But it was there. And it glowed so closely to Wyzen's that he almost mistook it. It looked like a fragment of Wyzen's Mantra too, but that would be too absurd. It wasn't possible. "Look at you!" She gestured with one of her crossbows. "Such a strong power! Wasted on such a pathetic piece of filth like _you_!" The young demigod before him screeched a few more things, but Asura lost track of her insignificant blathering. But he did notice that she stopped aiming the crossbow at him.

As she stepped closer and closer, Asura snarled at her. The appearance of her demigod abilities helped clear things up for him. She must have been a rising star of the Shinkoku army, hoping the death of Asura and retrieval of Mithra would make her a commander in Deus' eyes. But he would not allow that. He just needed a little patience. So she was durable enough to survive the impact of the stone. He would let her think she had one over him. That she was going to be the victor.

When her wispy form was so close to him, she made a sound. It was all she got out before Asura lashed out his leg. She seemed to completely ignore the attack coming for her, as if arrogant enough to believe it inconsequential to the fight. But then he made contact. It felt like hitting nothing at first, then like very loose sand and cotton. Like she was barely even there. But the violent demigod obviously felt otherwise.

She screamed in pain, electricity arcing about her shadowed form. She may not have moved from her spot, but she was in pain. She wasn't invincible. A valuable lesson to be sure. As soon as his foot moved away from her, she regained her previous form and slumped to the ground. Asura looked at her with the significance of a gnat.

She let out the most pitiful groan at his feet. He almost wanted to know why she thought herself a worthy match for him in the first place before remembering her youth. And now that he thought about it more. A new plan formed in his mind. He sneered when he realized the next part would need a little more of a hands-on approach. So he looked around.

He moved much further than he originally thought. Around the three of them, stood all the same looking building that the humans made, but close by was a small grass clearing. Well, almost clear. It had rusted metal structure strewn about it. _A park_? Maybe he could take Mithra to one when this was all over? No, he would think on that later. It wasn't the time for that.

He slid his bare foot beneath her form, which wasn't nearly as _squishy_ as it was before, and flung her over to the park. She must have been too exhausted from whatever happened to make even the slightest noise now. But she wouldn't get any sympathy from him. Not now that he knew she worked for Deus. He should have seen it soon. _What's done is done._

He placed Mithra on a relatively soft looking patch of grass, hoping this wouldn't take too long, before stalking over to the pathetic _soldier_. He ripped off her mask and held her up by the throat. _Still too young._ She was dark skinned and oh so young for this. But she chose this. This self-destructing path. It would make no difference now. Not to him.

"Wake up!" he growled. "Open your eyes!" It was like she couldn't hear a word he said. He snarled. "I said wake up!" He slammed her against a tree.

She jolted forward. Her now-open eyes frantically darting back and forth. Trying to understand what has happened to her. Her eyes were wide, but Asura knew she didn't really understand what she was seeing yet. When her eyes focused on him, she blinked a few times, finally gaining some clarity. At first she attempted to enter her Vajra form again. But she only screamed as she was engulfed in lightning once more. _Such a useless form_.

He growled at her before she could try to speak. "Listen to me," he said, voice low and promising pain should she not. "You are going to tell me where the nearest healer is. You will do it quickly."

"Why the fu-argh!" His hand constricted around her throat.

" _Talk_!"

"Awk-I can't!" She desperately grabbed at his hand. His fingers only edged tighter. "I don't know where she is!" when one of her fingers scrapped against her face, she finally noticed that her mask was gone. "What," she was stunned, "what did you do?" With only a brief moment, she tried drawing herself up, form a better more confident position. "Don't you know what you've done?" She laughed at him. "You're in trouble now, Hebert." Her eyes narrowed at him. "You've just unmasked a cape. And now who do you think they'll believe? The one working with them or the psycho destroying the place?"

Asura couldn't help but laugh at that. "Ha, how long has it been since I've last come here?" Her face contorted in confusion. "Has it been so long that Deus forgot about me?!" He couldn't help it. Deus-the demigod that was responsible for all this, the one with a grand plan-seemed to have forgotten about him. "I am Asura! Father of Mithra! And I will have my _vengeance_!" He looked her straight in the eye and growled, "Now be a good little soldier and tell Deus I am back." He released her before his Mantra could boil over and burn once more.

She stumbled around, not quite prepared for the sudden freedom. She quickly regained her baring before she fell. She was almost uncertain about what she should do. But when Asura waved her away, she made her decision. She took out her crossbow once more and aimed it. She seemed to learn from her previous fight and aimed not for him but for Mithra directly. She didn't get much time to register much of what happened next. One moment she was taking aim, and she was down on the ground the next.

Asura pulled his fist back to himself, eyes shifting away from her prone body. In a way, he was glad for that. It would allow some more time for him to find a place to hide Mithra from harm. But then a thought plagued his mind. Why did he challenge her like that? Why send the message to Deus? It would only hinder him. So why? He was sorely tempted to slay her where she laid. It would solve his new problem. But should he deliver an absolute punishment for her young foolishness? No, she wasn't a problem anymore-too injured to rise once more. There was no need. No matter how tempting it was.

He looked over to Mithra's innocent form. There, she had no worries. Not in her own mind at least. Asura remembered how he would have watched over her when she was younger. There were many nights when he would just watch over her while she slept. Sometimes it was when she had a nightmare, he was there to guard her against the terrors. But other times... other times it was just to remind himself of what he had.

He sighed as he picked her up once more. The fight was distracting at best. It didn't change that Deus was after his daughter. That was a constant until Deus was killed. And it would be by Asura's hands! But that would come later. Asura still had something more drastic to attend to.

 _Where's a healer_?


	4. Interlude: Is It Broken?

_Preface: Well, it's certainly been a while. Much more than a single week. Sorry._

 _Interlude: Is It Broken?_

* * *

"Father!" The yell caught Asura by surprise. As did the little girl that came running into him. He was more out of it than he thought-to not even notice his little Mithra running out the broad doorway of his home.

He almost reflexively put his arms around her, only to stop and hesitate. She was still so tiny. And even at his weakest, he could easily crush her without noticing. But he refused to let that happen. He knew he would never bring her harm.

So he wrapped his arms around his daughter-careful to be gentle with her.

Eventually, Mithra lifted her head up. "It's been long, father!" And while her face lit up with the bright smile he knew her always to have, he couldn't stop the grimace that came to his face.

The Gohma were rising in a force that was overcoming many of the soldiers that the Empire had across Gaea. While the Doji were numerous, they were weak and easily frightened. The Rasho were fierce, but they burned too quickly. As worthy the Taisons' claim to the title of "sweeper," they were slow. And the naval ships were only to be used as a last resort due to their overwhelming firepower; even the smaller Nirvana ships were too powerful for ground use.

So Emperor Strada ordered him and the rest of the Eight Guardian Generals to personally step into the battles. And while Asura may have accepted such an order in the past, he now found it to be increasingly difficult to stay out for so long. His distracted mind distanced him from the battle-costing him many wounds. In fact, it was only the prayers of the villages he was protecting that allowed him to fight for six straight days.

The six days that he was away from Mithra.

When he was younger and more foolish, he would have relished in the fight he was thrown into. He would have loved to unleash his fury at the hoard of Gohma. But now he was only missing Mithra. He was missing her life.

Her teary eyes were bright as she shouted, "Look! Look what I can do!" Her face scrunched up, eyes tightly closed and arms waving closely to her chest. Asura couldn't forget that she was still just a child. He was about to step in when her face started turning blue, but then it happened.

Behind her, a single tiny halo formed. It couldn't have been much more around than Asura's closed fist. It flickered and stuck as tightly as possible to her. But it was there. She finally did it. She developed her mantra enough to summon her halo.

And Asura did not doubt that Kalrow would soon learn of this.

He was up to something-something that involved his daughter. Years ago, he told Asura that Mithra was the best _vessel_ for the Priestess. But that was nothing short of ridiculous. _Out of the hundreds of possible candidates,_ he thought, _it had to be Mithra. Why? Why Mithra?_

He couldn't accept that. He would not allow his daughter to be used as a tool of _war_!

She would seek out the animals of the park just to feed them. If she saw someone in need of help, she gave them that help. Hell, she once came to him, crying for a bug that wouldn't move!

She's innocent, foolish, and naive! But he'd better be damned in Naraka if he let that happen! She didn't deserve to be tainted like that!

She didn't deserve to lose that innocence…

But looking down at her as she danced around-unable to grab at her halo-he couldn't bring himself to stop her path. _I will be there, I will protect her_ , he promised himself. But in the meantime, he would do all he could to make her happy. So he smiled at her. Tried to at least.

 _Note, practice smiling._


	5. Interlude: From the Shadows

_Preface: I seem to find it easier to flesh out some background right now. So another interlude._

 _Interlude: From the Shadows_

* * *

Sophia didn't quite understand Emma's obsession with Hebert. Hebert was, after all, just a spineless little bitch that didn't know when to curl up in a remote corner and disappear from the world. That's all she was good for.

But, Sophia didn't care who she was obsessed with-just as long as Emma remembered her place in the world, Sophia didn't care if she went and fucked the coward. And yet, Emma instead chose a different way to show her strength. The strength that she displayed when Sophia found her just the year before.

At first, Emma was so sure that Hebert would show she wasn't prey. But time and time again, the bitch just crawled off the lick at her wounds, and each time she would come back weaker than before. By this point, Sophia knew that the little girl could never have any strength.

Emma was finally catching on to that as well.

Today's event was supposed to be one last test for her. The last test to see if she had any hidden strength after all. So the two of them collected as many used tampons and pads from the school and other public places as they could during the winter break. And all of them were to be stuffed in her locker.

Right where she currently was.

Sophia shoved her in with the filth a few hours ago. And now, she was swinging by the hall to see if Hebert was still pounding away at the door-holding out hope for a savior.

She couldn't help the small chuckle that made it out of her lips. It was just like the weak to believe someone else would be able to save them. And in this world where only the strong survived and the weak died, the strong shouldn't stop by to protect the weak. That was just how the world-

Her mind blanked. The world spun. She didn't know where she was anymore.

But then it was over. The world was back to normal, and she stood steadily in the school hallway. The stench filled her nose. She was close to the coward's locker…

Her head filled with denials as soon as she realized what happened. _No_! She nearly screamed. _That bitch couldn't trigger_! She ran to the hall no one wanted to be. She was blinded by a flash when she turned the corner.

And she froze from what she saw-her mind trying desperately to comprehend what she was seeing. Because right there, standing directly in front of that locker, was a towering man. He stood taller than the lockers with white hair, red skin, and metal gauntlets up to his shoulders.

He slowly looked around. The sound of metal groaning echoed through the halls as he did. His face spoke of confusion before he honed in on the disgusting locker. He yelled something that didn't reach her mind and then ripped away the door.

If the shriek of shearing metal didn't knock her out of the stupor she was in, the roar he unleashed undoubtedly did. It shook her in the way only a cry of a _beast_ could. Her breathing shallowed and her legs carried her back around the corner while her mind was still confused.

 _She needed to leave. She couldn't stay. It wasn't safe. She was going to die._

 _No_. She wasn't weak like that! She refused to let herself run so easily. She retook control of her breathing and peaked around the corner.

The monstrous man left with Hebert in his arms.

 _This bitch just triggered_! She couldn't believe it. The weak little _prey_ just triggered. But despite herself and her thoughts, she smiled. _Maybe Emma was right after all_?


End file.
